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| Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea Which at Twenty Meters Becomes the Portrait of Abraham Lincoln (Homage to Rothko) at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida |
This spring I had to spend a few days in St. Petersburg, Florida for a business trip. While some business trips leave little time for non-work-related exploits, I was fortunate enough to enjoy some fun free time to explore a little piece of St. Pete. I was there mid-week, but this same advice can apply to a quick weekend there as well.
Transportation
St. Pete is over 30 minutes away from Tampa International Airport, so I recommend hiring a car to get you there. I recommend Limo Find to rent charter buses, limos, and party buses if you’re going with a group.
Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront (333 1st St S, St Petersburg, FL 33701) – I love Hiltons, and try to stay at a Hilton family hotel when not in a boutique hotel. The Hilton in St. Pete was great, as per usual Hilton hotel standards. The location was also great, being a block away from the Dali Museum, and an easy walk to all the restaurants on Beach Drive. For in-house dining, I recommend the cobb salad at the hotel restaurant (Tangerine) which was one of the better cobb salads I have had.
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| The view from my window at the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront. I loved the cute lamp and the bay view. |
Apparently, the place to eat in St. Pete when staying near the bay is Beach Drive. I didn’t have a lot of time there, so only tried one restaurant, but there appeared to be several good options.
Dali Museum (1 Dali Blvd, St Petersburg, FL 33701) – I was so happy to have found a free hour on my last day to visit the Dali Museum. The museum
contains the largest collection of original Dali art outside of Spain. It was very impressive, and even included several of his giant pieces (like The Hallucinogenic Toreador and The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus). The museum contained art from several periods of Dali’s life, from his early View of Cadaques with Shadow of Mount Pani to even the more modern First Cylindric Chromo-Hologram Portrait of Alice Cooper’s Brain. My favorites were Daddy Longlegs of the Evening – Hope! and L’Arc Hysterique (The Hysterical Arch). Since I had such a short time there, they recommended I do the free self-guided audio tour, which did indeed add to the experience.
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| I loved this sign! Too funny. |
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| L’Arc Hysterique (The Hysterical Arch) |
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| Daddy Longlegs of the Evening – Hope! |
Much to my husband’s jealousy, I got to attend a Spring Training baseball game while I was there. A few teams in the “Grapefruit League” (Yankees, Phillies) play in the St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay area (Tampa is easily accessible from St. Pete). This was a really fun experience, and one I’d recommend if you have the chance.
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| Donning some new Yankees gear. My dad would be proud! |
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